The Word "Blaen" (Vol. v., p. 128.).
—The British word Blaen, a frequent prefix, means top point, or fore part: hence Blaenffrwyth, first fruit; Blaenafon, source of a river, &c.
E. ALLEN.
Stoke (Vol. v., pp. 106. 161.).
—At Erbistock, near this place (it is called "Saint Erbyn's stoke" in the Valor Ecclesiasticus made temp. Henry VIII.), there is a stone weir across the river Dee, which there washes the base of the rock on which the Parish church is built. The use of this weir is now only to divert a part of the stream to a corn mill; but a weir may have been erected here in ancient times for the purpose of catching salmon, as it is the first weir above Chester on the river Dee. The name of Saint Erbyn is not to be found in the Calendar of Welsh Saints; but I apprehend that the authority of the commissioners of Henry VIII. may be deemed sufficient for placing his name in the next edition of the Calendar that shall be published.
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Wrexham Regis.
The quotation from Bosworth is doubtless correct. Blomfield, in his History of Norfolk, when describing Stoke-ferry, says:
"This town stands on the river Wissey, and in the Book of Domesday it is wrote 'Stoches;' not taking its name from stoch, (i.e.) some wood, but from stow, a dwelling or habitation, and ches, or kes, by the water."
There are two villages of the name of Stoke in Norfolk, and both are situate on small streams.